Adult acne not responding to treatment

I'm 35 and have been suffering from adult acne for about a year. I started out trying OTC skincare but it didn't help so I went to a dermatologist about 8 months ago. She prescribed me a benzoyl peroxide gel and Differin. It worked for a few months but then stopped working. I went back about 6 weeks ago and she changed me to a sodium sulfate/sulfur face wash and a stronger retinol at night; stopped the BP because it was too drying. I've seen no improvement still; in fact it's gotten worse and I'm so frustrated! I also got a facial a few weeks ago and the esthetician said that my skin was actually dehydratedband therefore producing more sebum to compensate, which very well could be contributing to my acne. One thing I did today was change my Clarisonic brush head from normal to delicate; which I mistakenly had chosen about 4 months ago. Maybe the "harsher" brush head contributed so hopefully this helps. I'm debating dropping the dermatologist and go hunting again through OTC products. Any advice, thoughts or suggestions are appreciated!

Answered

You may want to change Dermatologist or do some research on your own. I actually benefited and learned more about my skin and treatimg it from doing research. I had been seen by no less than 5 Dermatologists who prescribed both topical and oral medication for my acne years ago. I was put on medication which was contradictory for my skin tone and also for my age. If you are black or have any brown coloring in your skin, Retin-A or Retin-A micro is not meant for this skin type. It causes hypo-pigmentation. There are however, some companies that have good products which contain a retinol which are compatible for Differin is meant for a certain age group. I believe it is for 18-25 yrs of age. I had bad reations to both of these medications. Adult Acne is different from teenage acne. Older skin needs the hydration. Benzoyl Peroxide dries the skin out. Drying out oily skin is one of the worst things you can do. It just makes it worse by producing more oil to compensate for the oil which was lost. You want to balance and regulate the amount of oil your skin produces. You need a pH balanced cleanser which will keep your facial skin acidic which will not allow for the bad acne-causing bacterai to grow. You need to help you skin's acidic mantle. This is what keeps your skin's enviroment balanced by keeping away the bad bacteria and allowing the good bacteria. Salicyclic Acid works well for doing this job. Scrubs which contain nuts or particles which can be very abrasive are not good either. Dermabrasion is really not good for oily or acne-prone skin because it stretches the pores. The Clarisonic, I actually like....just be sure to use the correct brush head and to not over-wash your skin. Using it a few times a week is fine. Facial Peels be very careful with especially if they have acid. Certain companies do make skin peels which are safe to use which contain no acid, but use enzymes(like lactobacillus) to exfoliate the skin.